St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-04-14
THE HOUSEHOLD NOTEBOOK
A Bit Here and n Bit There.
Chicago Adranc

CntcdgO Adfuftce.
As we are nearing the time when
the question of a new carpet is likely
to come up in many family council,
it may not he amiss to see if the Note
Book can throw any light upon it,.
Those worn places in your bed room
or sitting-TOOm carpet have stared
you in the face all winter, growing
continually more reprOachful and un-
slightly. You have used all possible
ingenuity in arranging rugs and heavy
furniture to prevent ragged hole,
but the time is very near when some
thing must be done, and yet with
school bills, needed clothing, and per-
haps diminished income, you dread
the thought of thirty or forty yards of
new carpeting.
Why not be fashionable and artistic,
and economical at the same time, by
trying the experiment, in n modest
way, of IL painted, or stained or hard
wood floor and a rug
There are three objections: These
floors are cold, they make more work
and you do not like them. To the first
objection il may be answered that
seats can easily he arranged so that
the feet need never rest on the bare
floor In regard to the additional
work, the labor is simplified rather
than increased. 1t is very little trOu-
BILE to dust the wood margin of the
floor with IL bristle brush that comes
for the purpose, or cloth wound
round the common broom. 1t takes
but Il few minutes to wipe it once
week with II damp cloth. From II lit
tie experience with stained, painted
and hard wood floors, we think the
latter require most attention., because
they occasionally need little wax or
oil. But the consciousness of clear
corners, no line by the base boards to
catch and keep the dust, no hiding
places for moths, and the ease with
which the room can have Il thorough
cleaning, more than cOmpensates for
ANY suggested trouble. AS to the
preference for the old way of covering
---esery inch with carpet, "there is no
disputing about tastes" But very few
who have tried the rugs could be in
duced to go back to the former plan.
1t is like an emancipation, especially
in sleeping to have these clean,
sweet spaces outside the central car
pet.
A floor painted for two or three feet
from the wall in u dark red or brown
color is very pretty, but it shows dust
and the paint wears off in the most
trOdden places.
OF inexpensive methods of treating
the common floor, staining is better.
1t shows the grain of the wood, unless
the stain is too thick, and it lasts long
er than paint. Anyone can do it with
rag, or better, with a brush. The
stain, black walnut, mahogany, cher
~, rosewood, or old oak, can be
bought ut IL paint-shop ready for use.
The lighter cOlOrs are preferable.
Cracks in the floor should first be filled
with putty.
After the staining has dried, apply Il
coat of shellac varnish, or, ''mix tur-
peutine and yellow beeswax in the
proportion of one gallon of turpentine
to one pound of wax shaved thin. Let
the wax soak all night, or longer, in
the turpentine before using, then rub
it on with WOODEN cloth. A few times
of using it will make the floor gain a
polish like that of an ld-fashioned
tabletop"
If the family purse will allow it, a
whole floor of Southern pine, or hard
maple, or oak, with the hard oil finish,
will give great satisfaction, or you can
have the wood carpet laid down with
pretty marquetry border. But, as
the cost of these floors will be from
eighteen to thirty dollars for room
twelve Ivy fourteen feet, perhaps you
will think they do not solve the ques-
ton of economy.
Next comes the problem of the rug
It is quite possible you may get it out
of this old, despised carpet, especially
if it has IA border. Two or three widths,
three yards long, would he quite
enough for u medium sized room. OF
course the carpet can be used without
II border but it does not look so much
like IA rug. 1t lacks finish. While
Turkish, Persian, Smyrna, Moquette
and Brussels rugs are very desirable
and expensive, ingram and even rag
carpets will make II room attractive
and hOme-likc. Rugs made from heavy
felt, described i'll il recent number of
the Advance, would give an air of ele-
gance to any parlOr. For hard wood
floors it is quite the fashion tn use II
number of small rugs rather than one
that nearly covers the floor. Like
Henry Ward Beecher's modern con-
veniences, they will prove Il means of
grace, or Oftener of disgrace, to per-
turbed spirit. 1t is more comfortable
to have good sized square tackled
down just outside all the heavy pieces
of furniture. Your husband and boys
will appreciate its ixedness, and you
and they will enjoy the ease with
which 1T can he taken mp when the
room must he cleaned, and there are
no book cases or other sOlidities to be
lifted. Another great advantage of
the stained or hardwood floors is that
when you are forced to buy new car
pet you do not need so many yards, it
can he made with no ins and outs to
waste the material, and it is easily
adapted to other rooms. This is no
slight consideration for those who live
in rented houses and who are often
obliged To move
Brain-Forcing in Children.